March in like a Lion?

We end February on a relatively nice note. Tuesday afternoon was picture perfect with highs climbing to 60° and mostly sunny skies. Cloud cover thickens through this afternoon, but it will still be a relatively dry and mild day. Highs will climb into the low 50's with a slight chance for a late day shower.

However things change tonight, and the forecast turns a bit more messy and challenging tonight and into tomorrow. An incoming low pressure system will bring a threat for rain and snow over the next 36 hours. With a stationary boundary over the Stateline, clouds will increase with a slight chance for a few showers late today. Steady to moderate rain will be likely tonight through early Thursday morning, and could lead to decent rain totals across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. 

By tomorrow morning we could see about .25" to .75" of rain fall before temperatures cool enough and the rain transitions to snow. Models have had a tough time handling this system, and the strength of the low pressure system. The strength of the low, and the moisture and cooler air it tugs in will have a big impact on how much snow we get, if any at all.

The current forecast holds relatively minor snow accumulations for the area, around one inch for many. But this can definitely change as we continue to fine tune the forecast. Overall you'll want to plan for a messy Thursday and you'll want to grab a coat and boots, since you'll even have to trudge through either puddles, some snow, or both.

The good news is, the precipitation won't last all day. The majority of it will be out of the area around noon to 1pm. After that, dry air moves in quickly and will allow for quickly clearing clouds for the afternoon. It will be a chilly first day of Meteorological Spring, with temperatures falling into the 30's through Thursday and northwest winds will increase, at times gusting near 30mph.

Then temperatures climb into the 40's again by Friday with more sunshine.